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Being in the World, But Not of It: How Do You Do It?

August 12, 2015

How do you apply the principle, “Be in the world, but not of it”?

We live in an evil world. Evil is all around us. What do we do about it?

A man gave this wise advice, “When the world starts affecting you, then you need to get out of the world.”

My husband worked with a doctor who did transcendental meditation. It affected the way he ran his practice. I felt the evil when I entered the office.

Should my husband not work there because of the evil? Or should he show the true peace only God could give? He stayed. His ministry grew as others saw the contrast.

God gives us armor to stand against evil. We can resist evil.

Gird your loins with truth.

Wear the breastplate of righteousness.

Shod your feet with the gospel of peace.

Hold the shield of faith to extinguish the flaming arrows of the evil one.

Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.

Pray always in the Spirit. (Ephesians 6:11-20).

It is a battle that we fight until our life is done.

Evil does not stagnate; it grows. When the evil at the job was changing not the practice, but my husband, we knew it was time to leave. He found another job. Was the job change convenient? No. Was it a ‘better job’? No. But we fight or flee evil.

“Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall. No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man, and God is faithful…will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.” (I Corinthians 10:12-13).

No one is strong enough to stand against evil alone. We will fall. But God gives us a way to flee so we don’t have to fall. It’s not just temptation, but ‘evil.’

Joseph ran from Potipher’s wife when she seduced him daily. The consequence of running seemed hard (he was falsely accused and imprisoned), but evil did not control him. He escaped. He stood firm, trusting God. (Genesis 39:6-21).

“Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” (James 4:7-8).

We can live in the world but not be of it. There is victory. There is an escape.

Don’t be weary in well doing.



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Author of Biblical fiction, married to my best friend, and challenged by eight sons’ growing pains as I write about what matters.

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